U.S. patent application number 14/414044 was filed with the patent office on 2015-06-25 for packaging assembly and method of manufacturing a packaging assembly.
The applicant listed for this patent is Intercontinental Great Brands LLC. Invention is credited to Nicolas Gres.
Application Number | 20150175344 14/414044 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46766438 |
Filed Date | 2015-06-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150175344 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gres; Nicolas |
June 25, 2015 |
PACKAGING ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A PACKAGING
ASSEMBLY
Abstract
A packaging assembly (10) includes a carton (12) having opposed
rear and front walls and an end wall interconnecting the rear and
front walls at one end to define an interior volume. A dispensing
opening (26) through which products (106) may be dispensed is
defined between the front and rear walls at a second end. A closure
(28) is movable between a closed position and a product dispensing
position. The assembly includes at least one stack of elongate
comestible products (106) which is at least partially enclosed
about one end by means of a flexible outer wrapper affixed to the
carton. In one embodiment, the wrapper only encases a lower portion
of the stack. In an alternative embodiment (FIG. 9), the wrapper
fully encases the stack but an opening portion of the wrapper is
adhered to closure so as to be removed when the carton is first
opened.
Inventors: |
Gres; Nicolas; (Echenevex,
FR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Intercontinental Great Brands LLC |
East Hanover |
NJ |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
46766438 |
Appl. No.: |
14/414044 |
Filed: |
July 8, 2013 |
PCT Filed: |
July 8, 2013 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IB2013/001618 |
371 Date: |
January 9, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
426/5 ;
53/447 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 5/66 20130101; B65D
5/6608 20130101; A23G 4/18 20130101; B65D 5/6685 20130101; B65D
77/02 20130101; B65D 75/5833 20130101; B65D 85/60 20130101; B65B
43/10 20130101; B65D 75/5838 20130101; B65B 11/48 20130101; B65D
2313/10 20130101; A23V 2002/00 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 85/60 20060101
B65D085/60; B65D 5/66 20060101 B65D005/66; A23G 4/18 20060101
A23G004/18; B65D 77/02 20060101 B65D077/02; B65B 11/48 20060101
B65B011/48; B65B 43/10 20060101 B65B043/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 10, 2012 |
GB |
1212276.8 |
Claims
1. A packaging assembly comprising a carton having opposed rear and
front walls and an end wall interconnecting the rear and front
walls at one end to define an interior volume, the carton defining
an opening between the front and rear walls at a second end
opposite from said one end through which products may be dispensed
and having a closure member movable between a closed position in
which it closes the opening to retain products in the interior
volume and a product dispensing position in which products may be
dispensed through the opening, the packaging assembly comprising at
least one stack of elongate comestible products located within the
interior volume, the products in the at least one stack being
positioned one behind another in a direction from the front wall to
the rear wall, the at least one stack being at least partially
enclosed about one end by means of a flexible outer wrapper, the
wrapper being affixed to the carton.
2. The packaging assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
wrapper only partially encloses the stack of elongate comestible
products, an end region of at least a forward most one of the
products in the at least one stack projecting from the wrapper and
engageable, at least when the closure is in the product dispensing
position, to permit the product to be moved out of the wrapper and
the carton.
3. The packaging assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
wrapper fully encloses the stack of elongate comestible products,
the wrapper having at least one line of weakness that defines an
openable dispensing region at one end of the stack, the wrapper in
the openable dispensing region being affixed to the closure so that
on first movement of the closure to the product dispensing
position, the wrapper is torn along the at least one line of
weakness to expose an end region of at least a forward most one of
the products in the at least one stack, the packaging assembly
being configured such that once opened, said exposed end region is
enageable, at least when the closure is in the product dispensing
position, to permit the product to be moved out of the wrapper and
the carton.
4. The packaging assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least
one aperture is defined in the front wall through which the end
region of at least a forward most one of the products in the at
least one stack can be engaged to move the product out of the of
the wrapper and the carton.
5. The packaging assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the front
wall is shorter than the rear wall, the at least one stack
projecting beyond an upper edge of the front wall such that the end
region of at least a forward most product in the at least one stack
is engageable to permit the product to be moved out of the wrapper
and the carton when the closure member is in the dispensing
position.
6. The packaging assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the
closure member comprises a flap pivotally connected with the rear
wall, the flap extending about an end of the products and
overlapping at least part of the front wall when in the closed
position, the packaging assembly having a fastening arrangement for
releasable securing the flap in the closed position.
7. The packaging assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
closure member comprises a flip-top lid pivotally connected with
the rear wall, the packaging assembly having a fastening
arrangement for releasable securing the lid in the closed
position.
8. The packaging assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the
fastening arrangement comprises co-operating formations on the lid
and the front wall for releasably holding the lid in the closed
position.
9. The packaging assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
packaging assembly comprises at least two stacks of elongate
comestible products arranged side-by-side within the interior
volume, each stack of products being at least partially enclosed by
means of a flexible outer wrapper.
10. The packaging assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
packaging assembly consists of a single stack of elongate
comestible products within the interior volume, said stack of
products being at least partially enclosed by means of a flexible
outer wrapper.
11. The packaging assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the, or
each, flexible outer wrapper is adhered to the carton.
12. The packaging assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the, or
each, flexible outer wrapper encases its respective stack of
elongate comestible products about one end, the other end of the
products in the stack projecting beyond the wrapper.
13. The packaging assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
carton is formed from a blank of foldable material.
14. The packaging assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
carton consists of the rear wall, the front wall, the end wall and
the closure member only, the front and rear walls both being
affixed to the, or each, flexible outer wrapper.
15. The packaging assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
carton also comprises a pair of opposed side walls extending
between the rear and front walls to define the interior volume.
16. The packaging assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
elongate comestible products are all individually wrapped.
17. The packaging assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
elongate comestible products are gum sticks.
18. A method of manufacturing a packaging assembly as claimed in
claim 1, the method comprising: producing a blank of foldable
material for forming the carton, at least partially encasing at
least one stack of elongate comestible products in a flexible outer
wrapper, positioning the at least one stack on the blank, affixing
the, or each, flexible outer wrapper to the blank, and folding the
blank about the stack to form the carton and securing in
position.
19. The method as claimed in claim 18, in which the step of
affixing the, or each, flexible outer wrapper to the blank is
carried out before the carton is fully formed.
20. The method as claimed in claim 19, in which the step of
affixing the, or each, flexible outer wrapper to the blank is
carried out before the blank is folded about the stack to define
the interior volume.
21. The method as claimed in claim 20, in which the, or each,
flexible outer wrapper is affixed to a first part of the blank
before the blank is folded about the at least one stack to define
the interior volume and is affixed to a further part of the blank
during the process of folding the blank.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The disclosure relates to packaging for products. The
disclosure relates in particular, but not exclusively, to packaging
for elongate products and more particularly elongate comestible
products including gum sticks.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Gum, including chewing gum, is produced in a variety of
forms including, gum sticks, gum slabs, and gum pellets and is
packaged in a number of different ways.
[0003] In one method of packaging gum sticks, the sticks are first
individually wrapped and a number of wrapped sticks are then
packaged in stack, one behind another, in a sealed packet formed
from a flexible outer overwrap. The outer overwrap is typically
made from a material that is impervious to moisture and/or oxygen
so as to protect the contents of the package from moisture loss and
to extend the shelf life of the package. In order to open the
packaging, one end of the outer packet is torn to remove an end of
the packet. This allows access to the individually wrapped sticks
which can be selectively removed through the open end.
[0004] This type of packaging has proved to be popular with
consumers and is convenient to manufacture using automated
processes. However, a drawback is that once the outer packet has
been opened and one or more gum sticks removed, the remaining
sticks are not securely retained in the remainder of the packet.
This means that the remaining sticks so can fall out of the packet,
especially when the packet is left in a person's pocket or bag
where it may not remain upright. A further problem is that this
type of packaging is most suited for packaging a single stack of
gum sticks. Consumers these days often wish to purchase gum in
larger quantities than cannot be effectively packaged in a single
stack.
[0005] As other gum products have been developed, alternative forms
of packaging have also been developed. Gum slabs for example are
often packaged in a carton formed from a blank of foldable
material, such as cardboard or paperboard. The slabs are typically
arranged in a side-by-side array in the carton, which may have a
reclosable flap or other closure member. Reclosable cartons have
the advantage that the remaining products are securely retained in
the carton after it has been opened and some of the products
removed. Cartons are also advantageous in that they provide a
relatively large surface area on which information can be printed,
such as logos and other graphic design features, and that they can
be dimensioned to package larger quantities of gum. Cartons also
appeal to consumers who regard them as being a higher standard of
packaging than flexible packets.
[0006] Cartons though have drawbacks when used as packaging for
elongate products such as gum slabs or gum sticks. Manufacture can
be more complex as it can be difficult to position the products
correctly within the carton as it is formed. Furthermore, whilst a
reclosable carton is good at retaining products after first
opening, it is difficult to hold the products in an upright
position in the carton once one or more products have been removed.
To overcome this problem, a number of solutions have been proposed
which include adhering each individual product to the carton or an
insert and/or the use of additional elements in the carton to
retain the products in their correct alignment. Whilst these
solutions are effective, they add to the complexity of the
packaging and hence to the cost of manufacture.
[0007] There is a need then for alternative packaging arrangements
that overcome, or at least mitigate, some or all of the
disadvantages of the known packaging arrangements.
SUMMARY
[0008] According to a first aspect of the disclosure, there is
provided packaging assembly comprising a carton having opposed rear
and front walls and an end wall interconnecting the rear and front
walls at one end to define an interior volume, the carton defining
an opening between the front and rear walls at a second end
opposite from said one end through which products may be dispensed
and having a closure member movable between a closed position in
which it closes the opening to retain products in the interior
volume and a product dispensing position in which products may be
dispensed through the opening, the packaging assembly including at
least one stack of elongate comestible products located within the
interior volume, the products in the at least one stack being
positioned one behind another in a direction from the front wall to
the rear wall, the at least one stack being at least partially
enclosed about one end by means of a flexible outer wrapper, the
wrapper being affixed to the carton.
[0009] In one embodiment, the wrapper only partially encloses the
stack of elongate comestible products, an exposed end region of at
least a forward most one of the products in the at least one stack
projecting from the wrapper and engageable, at least when the
closure is in the product dispensing position, to permit the
product to be moved out of the wrapper and the carton.
[0010] In an alternative embodiment, the wrapper fully encloses the
stack of elongate comestible products, the wrapper having one or
more lines of weakness that define an openable dispensing region at
one end of the stack, the dispensing region being affixed to the
closure so that on first movement of the closure to the product
dispensing position, the wrapper is torn along the lines of
weakness to expose an end region of at least a forward most one of
the products in the at least one stack, said exposed end region
being engageable, at least when the closure is in the product
dispensing position, to permit the product to be moved out of the
wrapper and the carton.
[0011] In an embodiment, at least one aperture is be defined in the
front wall through which the exposed region of at least a forward
most one of the products in the at least one stack can be engaged
to move the product out of the wrapper and the carton. The aperture
may be perimetrically bounded by the front wall around its entire
periphery.
[0012] In an embodiment, the front wall is shorter than the rear
wall, an exposed region of each of the products in the at least one
stack projecting beyond an upper edge of the front wall such that
an exposed region of at least a forward most product in the at
least one stack is engageable to permit the product to be moved out
of the wrapper and the carton when the closure member is in the
dispensing position.
[0013] The closure member may comprise a flap pivotally connected
with the rear wall, the flap extending about an end of the products
and overlapping at least part of the front wall when in the closed
position, the packaging assembly having a fastening arrangement for
releasable securing the flap in the closed position. Where the
packaging assembly comprises more than one stack of elongate
products and where each wrapper has one or more lines of weakness
that define an openable dispensing region at one end of the stack,
the carton may have a separate flap or separable flap portion
associated with each stack, the wrapper within the openable
dispensing region of each stack being affixed to a respective one
of the flaps or flap portions.
[0014] The closure member may comprise a flip-top lid pivotally
connected with the rear wall, the packaging assembly having a
fastening arrangement for releasable securing the lid in the closed
position. The fastening arrangement may comprise co-operating
formations on the lid and the front wall for releasably holding the
lid in the closed position. Where there us at least one aperture
defined in the front wall through which the exposed region of at
least a forward most one of the products in the at least one stack
can be engaged to move the product out of the wrapper and the
carton, the co-operating formation on the front wall may provided
on a part of the front wall located between the aperture and the
opening between the front and rear walls through which products may
be dispensed.
[0015] The packaging assembly may comprise at least two stacks of
elongate comestible products arranged side-by-side within the
interior volume, each stack of products being partially enclosed by
means of a flexible outer wrapper.
[0016] The, or each, flexible outer wrapper may be adhered to the
carton.
[0017] Where each stack elongate comestible products is only
partially encased by a flexible wrapper, the, or each, flexible
outer wrapper may encase its respective stack of about one end, the
other end of the products in the stack projecting beyond the
wrapper.
[0018] The carton may be formed from a blank of foldable
material.
[0019] The carton may consist of the rear wall, the front wall, the
end wall and the closure member only, the front and rear walls both
being affixed to the, or each, flexible outer wrapper. In this
embodiment, the sides of the carton are open, there being no side
walls. Alternatively, the carton may also comprise a pair of
opposed side walls extending between the rear and front walls to
define the interior volume.
[0020] The elongate comestible products may all individually
wrapped and may be are gum sticks.
[0021] In accordance with a second aspect of the disclosure, there
is provided a method of manufacturing a packaging assembly in
accordance with the first aspect of the invention, the method
comprising: producing a blank of foldable material for forming the
carton, at least partially encasing at least one stack of elongate
comestible products in a flexible outer wrapper, positioning the at
least one partially encased stack on the blank, affixing the, or
each, flexible outer wrapper to the blank, and folding the blank
about the at least partially encased stack to form the carton and
securing in position.
[0022] The step of affixing the, or each, flexible outer wrapper to
the blank may be carried out before the carton is fully formed. The
step of affixing the, or each, flexible outer wrapper to the blank
may be carried out before the blank is folded about the stack to
define the interior volume.
[0023] The, or each, flexible outer wrapper may be affixed to a
first part of the blank before the blank is folded about the stack
to define the interior volume and is affixed to a further part of
the blank during the process of folding the blank.
[0024] According to a third aspect of the disclosure, there is
provided packaging assembly comprising a carton having opposed rear
and front walls and an end wall interconnecting the rear and front
walls at one end to define an interior volume, the carton defining
an opening between the front and rear walls at a second end
opposite from said one end through which products may be dispensed
and having a closure flap projecting from the rear wall and movable
between a closed position in which it closes the opening to retain
products in the interior volume and a product dispensing position
in which products may be dispensed through the opening, the
packaging assembly comprising at least one stack of elongate
comestible products located within the interior volume, the
products in the at least one stack being positioned one behind
another in a direction from the front wall to the rear wall, the at
least one stack being enclosed by means of a flexible outer wrapper
which is affixed to the carton, an openable dispensing region being
defined in the wrapper by means of one or more lines of weakness,
the wrapper within the openable dispensing region being affixed to
the flap in its closed position, the arrangement being configured
such that on first movement of the flap to the dispensing position,
the wrapper is torn along the lines of weakness with the openable
dispensing region of the wrapper remaining attached to the flap so
as to expose an end region at least a forward most one of elongate
products, said exposed end region being engageable, at least when
the flap is in the product dispensing position, to permit the
product to be moved out of the wrapper and the carton.
[0025] According to a fourth aspect of the disclosure, there is
provided a blank for forming a carton for use in a packaging
assembly in accordance with either of the first and third aspects
of the inventor or the method manufacturing a package assembly in
accordance with the second aspect of the invention, the blank
comprising an elongate, substantially rectangular sheet of foldable
material, the sheet being divided by means of substantially
parallel fold lines to define a front wall panel connected by a
first fold line to a lower end wall panel, a rear wall panel
connected by means of a second fold line to the lower end wall
panel and by means of a third fold line to a first foldable flap
panel, the first foldable flap panel being connected at a side
opposite the rear wall panel with a second foldable flap panel by a
fourth fold line.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] In order that the disclosure may be more clearly understood
embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only,
with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
[0027] FIG. 1 is a front view of a packaging assembly in accordance
with an embodiment of the invention shown in a closed
configuration;
[0028] FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 but showing the
packaging assembly in an open configuration;
[0029] FIG. 3 is a partial view from the front of the packaging
assembly of FIGS. 1 and 2, illustrating removal of a product from
the packaging assembly;
[0030] FIG. 4 is a front view of the packaging assembly of FIGS. 1
to 3, showing the assembly in a partly assembled condition;
[0031] FIG. 5 is a plan view of a foldable blank for a carton
forming part of the packaging assembly of FIGS. 1 to 4;
[0032] FIG. 6 is a front view of a packaging assembly in accordance
with a further embodiment of the invention shown in an open
configuration;
[0033] FIG. 7 is a side view of the packaging assembly of FIG. 6
showing the package assembly in a closed configuration;
[0034] FIG. 8 is a front view of a packaging assembly in accordance
with a still further embodiment of the invention shown in a
partially assembled condition prior to a closure flap being folded
about an end of the products in the assembly;
[0035] FIG. 9 is a side view of the packaging assembly of FIG. 8
showing the package assembly in a closed configuration;
[0036] FIG. 10 is a front view of the packaging assembly of FIGS. 8
and 9 showing the assembly after first opening; and
[0037] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a foldable blank for a carton
forming part of the packaging assembly of FIGS. 6 & 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0038] A first embodiment of a packaging assembly 10 in accordance
with the disclosure is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5.
[0039] The package assembly comprises a carton 12 formed from a
blank 14 of foldable material such as cardboard, paperboard and the
like. The carton has a rear wall 16, an opposed front wall 18, an
end wall 20 interconnecting the rear and front walls at one end,
and opposed side walls 22, 24 interconnecting the rear and front
walls 16, 18 along opposing sides to define an interior volume 25.
A dispensing opening 26 is defined between the rear and front walls
16, 18 at the end opposite from the end wall 20. The carton
includes a reclosable closure member in the form of a flip-top lid
28 pivotally attached to the rear wall 16 at the end opposite from
the end wall 20 by means of a hinge 29.
[0040] For convenience, the end of the carton 12 comprising the end
wall 20 will be referred to as a lower end and the end at which the
lid 28 is located will be referred to as an upper end, as this is
the orientation in which the carton it is shown in the drawings and
in which it will often be held when a user dispenses products.
Similar terminology will also be used in relation to the packaging
assembly as a whole. However, it should be understood that the
packaging dispenser 10 and carton 12 can be held and used in a
number of different orientations. The use of directional terms such
as upper, lower, front and rear in the description and claims
should be understood in this context.
[0041] The lid 28 is movable from a closed position as shown in
FIG. 1, in which a forward edge of the lid locates over the front
wall 18 to close the dispensing opening 26, and a dispensing
position as shown in FIG. 2, in which the lid is pivoted backwardly
to allow products to be dispensed through the dispensing opening
26. A tab 30 projects downwardly and outwardly from an upper edge
32 of the front wall 18 for engagement with formations on an inner
surface of the lid to releasably hold the lid in the closed
position. An aperture 33 is provided in the front wall 18 close to
the dispensing opening 26 to enable a user to engage products to
move them through the dispensing opening as will be discussed in
more detail below.
[0042] A blank of foldable material 14 for forming the carton is
shown in FIG. 5. The blank can be made of any suitable material
such as cardboard, paperboard or the like. The material may be
printed on to provide information and to include trademarks, logos
and other graphic design features.
[0043] The blank 14 comprises from right to left, a first side wall
panel 34, a rear wall panel 36, a second side wall panel 38, a
front wall panel 40, and a glue flap 42, the panels and flap being
separated by respective fold lines 42, 44, 46, 48. The blank 14 is
folded about the fold lines 42, 44, 46, 48 to produce the front 16,
rear 18 and side walls 22, 24 of the carton. The glue flap 42 is
affixed to an inner surface of the first side wall panel 34 to hold
the blank in its folded condition. The end wall 20 of the carton is
formed in a known manner by means of a first end wall flap 50
separated from a lower end of the rear wall panel 36 by a fold line
52, a second end wall flap 54 separated from a lower end of the
front wall panel 40 by a fold line 56 and by a pair of end wall
tabs 58, 60 respectively separated from the lower ends of the side
wall panels 34, 38 by respective fold lines 62, 64. A flap 66 for
forming the tab 30 is attached to an upper end of the front wall
panel 40 by means of a fold line 68.
[0044] To produce the flip-top lid 28, the blank 14 has a first lid
panel 70 connected to an upper edge of the rear wall panel 36 by a
fold line 72 and a second lid panel 74 connected to the first lid
panel 70 by a further fold line 76. The first and second lid panels
70, 74 are folded relative to one another about fold line 76 to
form a triangular shape similar to a pitched roof. The sides of the
lid are formed by means of tabs 78, 80 foldably attached to
opposite sides of the first lid panel 70 by fold lines 82, 84. Each
tab is separated into two portions: a first portion 86 which forms
a side wall of the lid and which is folded about diagonal line 88,
and a second portion 90 which is attached to the inner surface of
the second lid panel 74 to hold the two lid panels in their folded
configuration. The second portion 90 of each tab is shaped to
define an abutment edge 92 which co-operates with the tab 30 to
hold the lid 28 in the closed position. In other embodiments, the
diagonal fold line 88 can be omitted.
[0045] Portions of the blank can be bonded together after folding
to form the completed carton using any suitable adhesive which may
be pre-applied to the blank prior to folding or applied as part of
the process of folding the blank to form the carton.
[0046] The rear, front, side, and end walls 16, 18, 22, 24, 20 of
the carton define an interior volume 25 in which two stacks of gum
sticks 102, 104 are contained in side-by-side relation. Each stack
102, 104 comprises a plurality of individually wrapped gum sticks
106 positioned one behind another in a direction from the front
wall 18 to rear wall 16 of the carton. The number of wrapped sticks
106 in each stack is not an essential element and each stack could
typically contain in the range of five to twelve sticks, for
example. However, there could be more or fewer sticks than this in
each stack if desired. The individual gum sticks 106 can be wrapped
in a wrapper of any suitable material including composite or
laminated materials. For example, each gum stick 106 may be wrapped
in a wrapper comprising a metallic foil outer layer and a paper or
tissue inner layer. Wrappers made of or comprising polymeric
materials can also be used to wrap each individual gum stick
106.
[0047] Each stack 102, 104 of individually wrapped gum sticks 106
is partially encased in an outer wrapper of flexible material 108
to form a packet assembly 109, with at least one end region 106a of
the gum sticks projecting from the outer wrapper 108. The region or
regions 106a of each gum stick 106 which are not encased in the
outer wrapper will be referred to as exposed regions. In the
present embodiment, the outer wrapper 108 encases one end of the
stack of gum sticks, so that the other end projects out of the
wrapper. The packet assemblies 109 are positioned within the carton
so that the ends with the outer wrapper 108 are located at the
lower end of the carton adjacent end wall 20, with the exposed end
regions of the sticks projecting towards the upper end of the
carton. This allows the gum sticks 106 to be slid out of the outer
wrapper 108 and out through the dispensing aperture 26 when the lid
28 is in the dispensing position, as illustrated in FIG. 3.
[0048] To assist a consumer in removing a gum stick, the aperture
33 in the front wall 18 is aligned with the exposed end regions
106a of the sticks 106. This enables a consumer to engage an
exposed region of the forward most gum stick 106 in each stack,
using for example their thumb, and slide the stick out of the outer
wrapper 108 and out through the dispensing opening 26 when the lid
28 is in the open, dispensing position. After dispensing one or
more gum sticks, the lid 28 can be moved to the closed position
where it is held shut by engagement of the tab 30 with the abutment
edges 92 of the side tabs in the lid 28. This securely retains the
remaining gum sticks in the carton. Furthermore, because the gum
sticks are partially enclosed in the outer wrapper 108, they are
securely held in an upright position within the carton and will not
fall sideways even after several have been removed from each stack
or when one of the stacks is emptied. The outer wrapper 108 of each
packet assembly 109 is affixed to the carton to hold it in position
by means of an adhesive or by any other suitable means such as
welding. Any suitable adhesive can be used including a cold seal
adhesive. The outer wrapper 108 can be made from any suitable
material including composite or laminated materials. For example,
the outer wrapper can be made of materials such as: polymeric
materials, metallic foils, paper and the like, or combinations
thereof. The outer wrapper 108 may be printed on, as can the
individual wrappers for each gum stick. At least some of the
individual gum sticks 106, which may be individually wrapped, may
be releasably bonded to the inside of the outer wrapper 108 and/or
to each other to hold them in place inside the outer wrapper. Any
suitable method of bonding can be used such as an adhesive, which
may be a cold seal adhesive. The bond strength should be sufficient
to hold the sticks 106 in place against accidental dislodgement but
not sufficiently strong as to prevent ready dispensing by a
consumer.
[0049] A method of manufacturing the package assembly 10 will now
be described. The gum sticks 106 are first individually wrapped and
then arranged in a stack 102, 104 and the outer wrapper 108 applied
about one end of the stack to form a packet assembly 109. Two
packet assemblies 109 are then positioned on a blank 14
side-by-side prior to the blank being folded to define the interior
volume 25. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the packet assemblies can
conveniently be positioned and adhered to the rear wall panel 36 of
the blank 14. The blank 14 is then folded about the packet
assemblies to form the finished carton in the usual manner. In
addition to affixing the outer wrappers 108 of the packet
assemblies 109 to the rear wall panel 36 of the blank, the outer
wrappers could also be affixed to the front wall panel 40 and/or to
one or more of the side wall panels 34, 38 as the blank is folded
for additional security. Typically, the front and side wall panels
34, 38, 40 will be initially folded about the packet assemblies 109
and secured in position using the glue tab 42. The end wall 20 is
then formed by folding the end wall flaps 50, 54 and tabs, 58, 60
and securing in position using an adhesive. As illustrated in FIG.
4, the lid 28 could be formed prior to the remainder of the blank
being folded about the packet assemblies and indeed even prior to
packet assemblies being located on the blank 14. However, this is
not essential and the lid 28 could be formed after the blank has
been folded about the packet assemblies or at the same time. Those
skilled in the art will appreciate that the precise order in which
certain steps are carried out can be varied.
[0050] The method of manufacture is advantageous as the gum sticks
106 are securely retained in their stacks by the outer wrapper 108
which in turn are held in position on the blank 14 as the blank is
formed into a carton. This simplifies the method of manufacture
when compared with known arrangements for forming a carton
containing an array of side-by-side gum slabs for example. The
outer wrapper 108 is positioned about the stack of gum sticks 106
to hold them together firmly but not so tightly that a gum stick
cannot be slid out of the outer wrapper by a consumer using a
reasonable level of force.
[0051] The packaging assembly 10 and its method of manufacture
offers many of the advantages over both carton type packages and
the flexible packet arrangements.
[0052] It will be appreciated that various changes could be made to
the packaging assembly 10 without departing from the scope thereof.
For example, the carton need not have a flip-top lid but could be
provided with alternative reclosable closure member. For example,
the carton could have a reclosable flap extending from the rear
wall and which folds over the top of the products and down over the
front wall 18 when in a closed position. An end of the flap could
be arranged to engage in a slit in the front wall to hold it in the
closed position but any suitable arrangement for holding the flap
in the closed position could be used. An advantage of using a flap
is that the flap could cover the aperture 33 in the front wall 18
when it is in a closed position.
[0053] A second embodiment of a packaging assembly 210 will now be
described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.
[0054] The packaging assembly 210 in accordance with the second
embodiment has a simplified carton 212 having a rear wall 216, a
front wall 218, a lower end wall 220 and a closure member in the
form of a foldable flap 228 which extends from an upper end of the
rear wall and which in the closed position, as shown in FIG. 7,
overlaps part of the front wall 218. A slot 230 is provided in the
front wall in which an end of flap can be inserted to hold the flap
in the closed position. When initially formed, the flap 228 may be
held in a closed position by means of adhesive so that the flap is
only inserted in the slot 230 after initial opening to reclose the
carton. The carton 212 has no side walls and so can be formed from
a simple elongate blank of foldable material (not shown) with
suitable fold lines to delineate the rear, front and end walls 216,
218, 220 and the closure flap 228. In this embodiment, the sides of
the carton are open thus exposing the sides of the wrapped stacks
of gum sticks.
[0055] The rear, front and end walls 216, 218, 220 of the carton
define an interior volume 225 in which two stacks 202, 204 of
elongate individually wrapped gum sticks 206 are held in
side-by-side relation. A dispensing opening 226 for the carton is
defined between the upper edge 218A of the front wall 218 and the
opposed rear wall 216 of the carton. As in the first embodiment,
each stack of gum sticks 206 is partially enclosed about a lower
end by means of an outer wrapper 208 to form a packet assembly 209.
The gum sticks 206 project out of the outer wrapper at an upper
end. At least the rear wall 216 and the front wall 218 of the
carton are bonded to the outer wrappers 108 of the packet
assemblies to hold them in position and to ensure the packet
assemblies do not fall out of the carton.
[0056] The front wall 218 of the carton is shorter than the rear
wall 216 so that the exposed end regions of the gum sticks that
project from the outer wrappers 208 project beyond the upper edge
218A of the front wall. When the closure flap 228 is in an open,
product dispensing position, as shown in FIG. 6, the exposed
regions of at least the forward most gum sticks 206 in each stack
can be engaged by a consumer to move the stick out of the outer
wrapper 208 and hence out of the carton through the dispensing open
226.
[0057] After one or more gum sticks 206 have been dispensed, the
flap 228 can be folded over the exposed ends of the gum sticks 206
and inserted in the slot 230 to retain the remaining gum sticks in
the carton.
[0058] The packaging assembly 210 in accordance with the second
embodiment can be manufactured in a similar method to that of the
first embodiment. The gum sticks 206 are first individually wrapped
and then arranged in a stack 202, 204 and the outer wrapper 208
applied about one end of the stack to form a packet assembly 209.
The two packet assemblies 209 are positioned on a blank 214
side-by-side prior to the blank being folded to define the interior
volume. Typically, the packet assemblies 209 will be positioned on
and adhered to a rear wall panel of the blank and the blank folded
about the packet assemblies to form the end and front walls 220,
218. At least the front wall is also adhered to the outer wrappers
208 of the packet assemblies but the end wall may also be adhered
for additional security.
[0059] A blank 214 for forming the carton 212 is illustrated in
FIG. 11. The blank comprises an elongate, substantially rectangular
sheet of foldable material such as cardboard or paperboard or the
like. The blank 214 is divided by means of spaced, parallel fold
lines 252, 256, 272, 276 to define a front wall panel 240, a lower
end wall panel 250, a rear wall panel 236, and panels 270, 274 for
forming the foldable flap 228. A slot 230 is provided in the front
wall panel and the free end 280 of the flap panel 274 may be
profiled to define a tab portion for insertion into the slot.
Regions of adhesive 282, 284 may be applied to the inner surfaces
rear wall panel 236 and the front wall panel 240 for engagement
with the wrapped stacks of gum sticks 2202, 204. A region of
adhesive may also be applied to the lower end wall panel. The first
flap panel 270 defines an upper end wall when the carton is
closed.
[0060] A third embodiment of a packaging assembly 310 will now be
described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10.
[0061] The packaging assembly 310 in accordance with the third
embodiment is similar in construction and operation to that of the
second embodiment 210. Accordingly, only those aspects of the
packaging assembly 310 of the third embodiment which differ from
packaging assembly 210 of the second embodiment will be described
in detail. In all other respects the reader should refer to the
description of the packaging assembly 210 of the second embodiment
above.
[0062] The packaging assembly 310 differs from the packaging
assembly 210 in that it contains only a single stack 302 of
elongate individually wrapped gum sticks 306. The carton 312 is
dimensioned accordingly but is otherwise constructed in the same
manner as the carton 212 in the second embodiment as described
above.
[0063] The other significant difference is that unlike the previous
embodiments, the wrapper 308 in the third embodiment fully encloses
the stack gum sticks 306 in the stack 302 initially. A line or
pattern of weakness 340 is provided in the wrapper in the region
that projects beyond the upper end 318A of the front wall 318 to
define an openable dispensing region 342. The wrapper in the
openable dispensing region 342 is bonded to the flap 328 in its
closed position so that on first movement of the flap 328 to the
open, dispensing position, the openable dispensing region 342
remains attached to the flap and the wrapper is torn along the line
of weakness to reveal an opening 346 in the wrapper through which
an end region of at least a forward most one of the gum sticks is
exposed so that it can be engaged to move the gum stick out of the
wrapper 308 and hence out of the carton through the dispensing open
326. The wrapper in the openable dispensing region 342 can be
bonded to the carton flap 328 by any suitable means such as
adhesive 344, which may be a cold seal adhesive, or by welding.
[0064] In the embodiment as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the line of
weakness 340 extends laterally (as shown) fully across a front wall
308A of the wrapper and partially across both side walls at a
position that aligns just above the upper edge 318A of the front
wall of the carton. The line of weakness 340 then extends upwardly,
generally parallel to the front wall to a position just below the
upper end wall 308B of the wrapper where it again turns to extend
rearwardly across the remainder of both side walls to the rear wall
of the wrapper. With this arrangement, the entire front wall of the
wrapper is removed above the line of weakness together the upper
end wall 308B and portions of the side walls adjacent the front and
end walls when the package is opened. This exposes the entire front
face in an upper end region of the forward most gum stick 306 in
the stack and makes it easy for a user to move the gum stick
upwardly out of the wrapper and the carton. However, the removable
dispensing region 342 need not always take this configuration. For
example, the line of weakness 340 need not necessarily extend into
the side walls of the wrapper, provided that a sufficiently large
region of the wrapper at the exposed upper end the stack that
projects beyond the front wall 318 of the carton 312 is removed to
enable a user to engage the forward most stick 306 in the stack and
move it out of the wrapper and the carton.
[0065] As with the previous embodiments, after one or more gum
sticks 306 have been dispensed, the flap 228 can be folded over the
exposed ends of the gum sticks 306 and inserted in the slot 330 to
retain the remaining gum sticks in the carton.
[0066] The packaging assembly 310 in accordance with the third
embodiment can be manufactured in a similar method to that of the
first and second embodiments. The gum sticks 306 are first
individually wrapped and then arranged in a stack 302 and the outer
wrapper 308 applied about the stack to form a packet assembly. The
packet assembly is positioned on a blank prior to the blank being
folded to define the interior volume. Typically, the packet
assembly will be positioned on and adhered to a rear wall panel of
the blank and the blank folded about the packet assemblies to form
the end and front walls 320, 318. At least the front wall 318 is
also adhered to the outer wrappers 208 of the packet assemblies but
the end wall may also be adhered for additional security. The flap
328 is also adhered to the wrapper within the removable dispensing
region 342 as it is positioned about the stack and held in the
closed position. The blank may be similar to the blank 214 in FIG.
11 but suitably dimensioned for use with a single wrapped stack of
gum sticks 306.
[0067] The concept of providing an openable dispensing region 342
defined by a line of weakness in the wrapper and which is adhered
to a carton flap 328 is not limited to embodiments having a single
stack 302 of gum sticks but can equally be applied in embodiments
having two or more individually wrapped stacks 302 of gum sticks,
such as in the second embodiment 210. In this case, the carton may
have a single closure flap that is adhered to the openable
dispensing regions 342 of each of the wrappers so that they are all
opened simultaneously on first movement of the flap to the
dispensing position. Alternatively, the carton may have a separate
closure flap or flap portion for each stack, so that each stack can
be opened independently of the others by lifting its respective
flap or flap portion. For example, in a packaging assembly having
two individually wrapped stacks of gum sticks, similar to the
second embodiment, the carton flap may be divided into two flap
portions by means of a line of weakness. Each flap portion is
affixed to the openable dispensing region 342 of a respective one
of the stacks. The consumer can chose to open only one of the
stacks at a time by lifting the appropriate flap portion.
Furthermore, the concept of providing an openable dispensing region
342 in the wrapper can also be adapted for use with cartons such as
that disclosed in the first embodiment 10 with a flip top lid or
indeed any other type of movable closure. In this case, the, or
each, openable dispensing region 342 is bonded to the flip top lid
or other movable closure member so that the wrapper is torn on
first movement of the lid or other closure member to the dispensing
position to enable the gum sticks to be dispensed.
[0068] Whilst the above description relates to packaging for gum
sticks, it can be adapted to provide packaging for other elongate
products and especially other elongate comestible products.
[0069] The above embodiments are described by way of example only.
Many variations are possible without departing from the scope
thereof. For example, the number of gum sticks 106, 206, 306 in
each stack can be selected as desired. The number of packet
assemblies 109, 209, 309 could also be varied from only a single
packet assembly up to three, four or more. The package assembly 10,
210, 310 could also be provided with an outer wrapper or film that
encases the carton and which is removed by a consumer on first
opening of the package assembly.
* * * * *